Vehicular Crash Out West Claims the Lives of Two People

A road traffic incident in the Cayo District claimed the lives of two people last night. Sometime around seven-thirty, an ambulance and a motorcycle collided on the Beaver Dam Bridge near Saint Matthews Village. With the help of Belmopan Correspondents, Fem Cruz and Pauline Soberanis-Tillett, here again is Giovanna Moguel with more details. 

Giovanna Moguel for Love News: Tragedy struck two families last night as a road traffic incident claimed the lives of two people in the Cayo District. The incident occurred on the Beaver Dam Bridge, in St. Matthews Village located between miles thirty-eight and thirty-nine. The crash involved an ambulance and a motorcycle, both of which were traveling in the direction of Belmopan. The victims of the crash have been identified as twenty-year-old Joanna Samosa, a resident of Cotton Tree Village, and forty-two-year-old Aurelio Ayala from Belize City. According to Police Press Officer, ASP Fitzroy Yearwood, the initial investigation indicates that poor visibility may have played a role in the crash.

ASP Fitzroy Yearwood, Public Relations Officer, Belize Police Department: “Police found a 2019 Toyota Hiace Ambulance almost on top of a Lifan Cycle and about a hundred and fifteen feet away from that motorbike they found 42 year old Aurelio Ayala who was the driver of the cycle at the time and a little more down in a ditch off the highway they found the body of 21 year old Joanna Samosa. Both persons were motionless, they were transported to the Western Regional Hospital where they were pronounced dead by a medical officer on duty. Initial investigation revealed that the ambulance was driven at the time by Josh Barillas. Upon crossing the Beaver Dam Bridge he didn’t notice the motorbike in front of him and this motorbike was rear ended causing injury to both the driver and the passenger of that motorcycle.”

Giovanna Moguel for Love News: The incident is described as a horrifying sight, with the aftermath of the crash leaving the motorcycle in a mangled state. The bodies were found strewn on the ground by police. The bodies and the ambulance driver, Josh Barrillas, were taken to the Western Regional Hospital. News of this tragic incident has left Joana’s mother, Cindy Samosa, in shock and mourning. She says her daughter was on her way back from work.

Cindy Samosa, Mother of Deceased: “I said I never expected it to be like this because you know she’s a person that likes to go out and so so I always God please protect her and always pray to God to mind her and the thing is that she wasn’t coming from no dance or nothing she was coming from her work so I really didn’t expect it like this. It hurts because like the song says you never expect something like this would happen.”

Giovanna Moguel for Love News: Cindy says that while she is not very familiar with the other casualty, she knows that her daughter would normally catch a ride with him from work in order to save passage money. 

Cindy Samosa, Mother of Deceased: “I don’t really know him I only know him on pictures and what she tell me that he used to give her rides so she in trying to save her passage money so she decided to come every afternoon with him. He looked like he was from Belmopan and he always drops her by the bus stop and continues his way to Belmopan.”

Giovanna Moguel for Love News: The investigation into the cause of the incident is ongoing, but for now, the family is waiting to receive their loved one’s body so they can lay her to rest. Giovanna Moguel for Love News.